Kevin Hyde Appointed To Lead American LaFrance’s Fire Division

SUMMERVILLE, SC – After a two year absence from the fire industry, Kevin Hyde will assume the role of Vice President for American LaFrance’s Fire Division. In his new position, Hyde will be responsible for overall management of American LaFrance’s fire and rescue business.

Up until June 2008, Kevin Hyde served as Vice President & General Manager for Pierce Manufacturing’s Bradenton operation, where he led all areas of two key business units. He also previously served as Director of Operations for Pierce at the same units. Most recently, Hyde worked for Johnson Controls, Inc. where he managed their Largo, FL division.

“During our search, it was critical for us to find a person not only with experience in the fire industry, but also with a strong and diverse business management background,” says Torben von Staden, President and CEO of American LaFrance. “It is rare to find someone with Kevin’s depth of engineering and operational experience and breadth of industry experience, coupled with a solid strategic perspective. These attributes combined with his excellent leadership qualities will help return American LaFrance to a position of strength in the fire industry.”

Hyde will be based out of the company’s headquarters in Summerville, SC. He is a graduate of Syracuse University with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. Before entering the fire industry, Hyde held management positions with Honeywell Systems, Lockheed Martin and Eaton Corporation.

American LaFrance, LLC is a leading manufacturer of fire, rescue and vocational vehicles. Through its predecessor entities, the Company is the oldest fire apparatus manufacturer in the United States, dating back to its founding in 1832. American LaFrance continues to manufacturer the industry’s top lines of fire apparatus including its Eagle custom fire chassis, Liberty series, LTI aerial ladders, and a full line of custom pumper products. The company is headquartered in Summerville, SC, with additional manufacturing facilities in Ephrata, PA. American LaFrance is held by Patriarch Partners, LLC, a private equity and investment firm located in New York.